March 2016 – a spark in your veins

19th March 2016

Birds, Bees, Barn Dances and Lambing Day at Woodlands Farm

Upcoming events at Woodlands Farm include their annual Lambing Day fair, two barn dances, the first of the season’s wildlife surveys, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust‘s bee walk, and an early spring bird walk.

Maureen wrote with information about Lambing Day:

Lambing Day at Woodlands Farm, Sunday 10 April 2016, 11:00am-4.30pm
All are welcome at the Woodlands Farm Trust Lambing Day. Come and see our new-born lambs, and enjoy the chance to buy quality local produce at reasonable prices, including home-made preserves, cakes and honey. Relax in our café, enjoy the treasure hunt or get involved in craft activities. Entry is free, but donations are always welcome. All proceeds from donations and our stalls go towards keeping Woodlands Farm here as a conservation project and valuable resource for the community. A great family day out!
No parking, please use public transport. Sorry, no dogs allowed.

There seem to have been more new lambs than ever this year. Most are now out in the fields, demonstrating their skills in exuberant bouncing with all four feet in the air, or joining in a mass race across the meadows.

New lambs racing across Woodlands Farm's fields — New lambs racing across Woodlands Farm’s fields

One of Woodlands Farm's new lambs — One of Woodlands Farm’s new lambs

There will be two traditional barn dances this year, on Saturday 28th May and Saturday 9th July, both starting at 7.30pm. Skinners Rats will be providing live country music and will be calling the steps. We’ll need to bring our own food, drink and glasses.
Tickets are £14 (including VAT and booking fee) – booking is via eventbrite: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/barn-dance-tickets-21713716310

The first Bumblebee Survey is this Monday, 21st March at 2.00pm. The Farm’s Education Officer, Hannah, wrote with details:

We have signed up to take part in the Bumblebee Conservation Trust bee walk this year. This will involve doing a walk round the farm once a month on a set route and recording any bumblebees we see. This is every month from March to October, so should keep us busy! Anyway the first one will be on Monday at 2pm. We will meet in the Farmyard and will use this time to both map the route and record any sightings, not sure if we will see much if still chilly but hopefully be a nice walk anyway and good to plan route for the rest of the year!

The Early Spring Bird Walk is on Sunday 3rd April starting at 10.00am. It is free to farm members, but for non-members costs £2 per person or £1 for children under 18. We are advised to wear sturdy footwear and suitable outdoor clothing. The walks includes climbing a small stile.
Lots to see and do down at Woodlands Farm. And don’t forget the Spring Equinox Walk tomorrow, Sunday, at 10.00am.

18th March 2016

Shrewsbury Park Events in 2016

The Friends of Shrewsbury Park celebrate their tenth birthday this year and have arranged a packed programme of events to mark the anniversary, starting with a bramble clearing session this Saturday. Kathy, the Friends’ Chair, e-mailed the details:

We are holding a cutting back bramble hour on Saturday 19th March, at 11am. If you are able to help, please meet at the crossroads of Dothill and the Green Chain walk (the bottom of the concrete path that leads down from the car park). Please bring stout gloves and your secateurs and loppers, we would appreciate your help. If it rains, the event will not take place.

The 2016 events include bird, butterfly and bat walks, and a history walk, plus the ever entertaining dog show. The full programme is:

March         19th:   Clearing brambles
April            30th: Bird identification walk
May             21st:   Tree identification walk
June            4th:    Clearing brambles
June            11th:   Summer Festival
June            12th:   Dog Show
July             16th: Butterfly identification walk
July            22nd: Historical walk
September 2nd:   Bat walk
September 3rd:    Clearing brambles
October      18th:   AGM

The Friends have also re-built their web site and are regularly adding new content, it can be found at http://fspark.org.uk/ They would welcome feedback on the site. I think it’s looking pretty good.

15th March 2016

Trams around Shooters Hill talk at Shooters Hill Local History Group

Head to Shrewsbury House on Thursday, 17th March, for Shooters Hill Local History Group‘s next meeting: a talk about Trams around Shooters Hill. All are welcome at the event which starts at 8.00pm. There is a small visitors’ fee to cover the cost of the room.

Steve wrote with the details:

During the early part of the 20th century, trams were seen as a way of bringing cheap travel to the masses. At 8pm at Shrewsbury House this Thursday 17 March, Tony Johnson will present a talk to the Shooters Hill Local History Group on Trams around Shooters Hill. He will deal with why trams were invented, who promoted them locally, and how they rose and fell as a transport mode. He will review the tram routes in the area around Shooters Hill, including intriguing proposals that were never fulfilled, profusely illustrated with pictures that will tap into nostalgia for the streetscapes of over half a century ago.

The story of local trams is a fascinating one. The first one opened on 23rd July 1910. It ran from Beresford Square across Woolwich Common past the Shooters Hill Police Station then down Well Hall Road to Eltham Church. Tickets cost 2d, which is slightly less than 1p in new money. The line was unusual in that it was powered through overhead wires, like a trolley bus, rather than through the wheels and rails. This was a requirement of the Astronomer Royal who was concerned that the standard method would cause interference with sensitive astronomical instruments.

Should be an interesting talk.

A 4 wheeled tram passes Shooters Hill Police Station from David Lloyd Bathe’s “Steeped in History”

8th March 2016

Easter Holiday Activities at Woodlands Farm

Woodlands Farm have their annual Easter Trail for children on Good Friday this year, one of their Easter holiday activities for children. These also include mosaic coaster making and a search for signs of spring. Hannah, the Education Officer, sent me the details:

Friday 25th March (Good Friday)        Egg-cellent Easter Trail 10am-2pm
Join us for our annual Easter Trail. Can you find all the different Easter Eggs and Spring Animals hidden around the farmyard? Find them all and you will get your own Chocolate Easter egg to take home. Drop in any time between 10am and 2pm. £2 per child.
Tuesday 5th April        Make your own Mosaic coaster 10am-12noon
Get creative and design your own coaster using mosaic tiles. Each child will get their own backing board and the choosing from different tiles you can design your own pattern or picture before you take it home to use over and over again. £5 per child. Booking is essential to book go to our website www.thewoodlandsfarmtrust.org
Wednesday 6th April        Spring Trail 10am-12noon
Spring is here, drop in and pick up a trail sheet to start your search for all the signs on spring. You can even use your finds to make your own spring picture to take home. No need to book, just drop in. £1 per child.
For more information, see our website or contact Hannah Forshaw on education@thewoodlandsfarmtrust.org

The farm will also be holding its Spring Equinox Walk on Sunday 20th March starting at 10am, and the first fair of the year, Lambing Day, on Sunday 10th April. I hear the first lambs of the season have already been born.